I made an attempt to hike on Christmas day.
Trail condition:
Mt. Baldy road: There was no icy spots or no snow on the road.
It was well maintained.
Fire road: there was snow entire road and some icy spots.
To Ski hut: 1-2 feet of snow all the way.
Beyond Ski hut to 9500 feet: 1.5-2.5 feet of sugary snow.
Justin and I broke the trail from Ski hut to 9100 feet. Mostly Justin. I gave ground information underneath of snow. Mike and Gordon joined us to break the trail from 9100 to 9500 feet. The snow was sugary and unstable and some section was above knee deep. We decided to turn around because the weather was changing and we were very tired of braking trail and it will take us over one hour to break the trail to the summit.
https://goo.gl/photos/U3X9WbCuFNV8pWqC6 Thank you Justin, Mike, and Gordon for a great hike.
Snowshoes may be a good option for this snow.